Cadence
by That'sMyFiasco
Summary: A collection of drabbles and ficlets, all centered around the stoic Lord Sesshoumaru and his little group. Mostly canon, though AU on occasion. T for safety. Now Up: Music Maker, Part II
1. Stopping

_Cadence_

a ficlet collection by That'sMyFiasco

Disclaimer: I said I owned Sesshoumaru once. However, he immediately held a sword to my neck and promised a swift demise should I fail to recant my words. Luckily for me, the silly youkai forgot he was holding the Tensusaiga.

A/N: This here collection is going to be the resting place for all of my ficlets based around Sesshoumaru, and his small group, as my other ficlet collection draws to a close. All chapters, unless otherwise noted, are in no particular order, and may feature various universes, characters, or pairings. The timeline may be skewed- these often take place at no particular point in the series.

Also, in case you were wondering, when I use the term 'ficlet', I classify it as a shot that is less than 250 words. Thank you very much!

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--Stopping-- 

It shocked him the first time it happened. Of course, he would never _dare _to _question _his lord, but it still came as a surprise. At first, he hadn't been sure what was happening, but as it unfolded before his very eyes, he couldn't help but believe.

As he worked to prepare a fire, he peeked at Sesshoumaru from the corners of his eyes. The stoic youkai had settled himself just on the edge of the fire's weak glow, his eyes following the girl-child as she scampered about in an effort to make the campsite comfortable.

_Of course_, he had reasoned_, it has to be a fluke. _But it happened again the next night- his Lord declaring that they would cease their travels until the morning.

It puzzled the servant- Lord Sesshoumaru never felt that anyone was deserving enough to interrupt their official business. And yet this girl broke the routine and settled into a new one, changing their little world simply by _being _there.

And through it all Jaken simply waited, watching carefully as his little world shifted.


	2. Skipping Stones

--Skipping Stones--

Rin looked down at her feet, carefully studying the stones that littered the lakeside. Eventually, she apparently found one to her liking, for she picked it up and weighed it in her hand with a triumphant smile.

Walking to the edge of the water, the little girl scrutinized the rock in her hand, evidently unsure of what exactly she was going to do with it. However, she seemed to draw courage, and in one quick movement she flung the stone out on the water, watching hopefully as is bounced once- twice?- before sinking under the slight waves.

Excited, proud, the little girl clapped her hands once before turning and starting to run back towards where Lord Sesshoumaru had been.

Suddenly, the girl pulled up short, craning her head to look up at the tall tai-youkai before her. His amber eyes flickered, looking from Rin, to the lake-side, and back to the girl.

He gave her a slight nod, and her face instantly lit up. He turned, and they were one their way once more.


	3. Sometimes

--Sometimes--

Sometimes Lord Sesshoumaru wouldn't always find something for dinner, and wouldn't stop until late. But it was okay, because Rin was good at finding food, and Lord Jaken would always make a fire before she would go to sleep.

Sometimes Lord Sesshoumaru would stay away for days on end, leaving Rin in a village for days at a time with some nice people. They were always good people, and would look after Rin and give her a nice place to sleep, but Rin would always wonder when Lord Sesshoumaru would be coming back. Whether Lord Sesshoumaru would be coming back at all. But he always would, because Rin knew that he would.

Sometimes Rin would get very tired of walking, and sometimes Ah-Un wasn't always around to carry Rin. Still, Rin didn't mind, because she would walk as long as Lord Sesshoumaru wanted her to, because she would _always_ follow Lord Sesshoumaru. As long as he would let her.


	4. Favourite

--Favourite--

Rin danced along the edges of the path, running back and forth between smelling the pretty wildflowers, and walking at Lord Sesshoumaru's side. The youkai lord said nothing, but shortened the length of his paces so that the child could keep up, should she wish it.

It was a beautiful day, the ideal kind for collecting flowers. Even Jaken was in a good mood as he followed his Lord, keeping half an eye on the young girl. As the day waxed on, the girl's handful got larger and larger, until her arms were veritably overflowing with the colourful bounty.

Then, late in the afternoon, Rin spotted a particularly lovely blossom and ran to pluck it, sighing delightedly as she inhaled the decadent scent. Excited, she ran up to Sesshoumaru, the flower raised before her. "Look, Lord Sesshoumaru! It is Rin's favourite flower! Is it not lovely?"

The stoic lord took one look at the flower, nodded in Rin's direction, and promptly sneezed.


	5. Music Maker, Part I

--Music Maker, Part I--

Rin had a habit, one that she had picked up long before she had even met Lord Sesshoumaru. Though Jaken was prone to believe she was too old for this sort of thing, she did it without even thinking about it, humming or singing a tune as they journeyed.

Still, the little girl knew better- knowing well the tai-youkai's need for and love of the silence, she quieted her song when he was near, only really letting the melody flow out when she was off bathing, or when Lord Sesshoumaru would have to leave them for a time. They were simple songs, ones she had learned from hanging around the housewives at work, or from playing with the other children on rare occasions.

One evening, the small group was walking next to a clear lake, the nearly-full moon rising in the dusky sky. The little girl's eyelids drooped as she trudged on, one had resting against Ah-un's side to steady herself.

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru turned from his place before her, holding completely still. "Sing," he commanded, the one syllable connoting all that was necessary. "It will keep you awake."

And so she obeyed, her clear, sweet music drifting among the stars.


	6. Music Maker, Part II

--Music Maker, Part II--

Next to the small fire, a pile of blankets moved, revealing a flushed face framed by sweat-dampened curls. The little girl clutched at her stomach silently. She had been sick all week, ferried from camp to camp on their way by Ah-un's strength and generosity. Though her illness did not seem to be serious enough to merit great alarm, Rin was greatly weakened, unable to keep her food down. What pained the girl the most was her inability to speak or sing- it was unnatural for her to be quiet, but she consoled herself with the knowledge that her Lord preferred the silence, anyway. Sesshoumaru did not appear particularly concerned, only adjusting his regular routine enough to ensure that Rin was kept warm and dry.

Rin tried to adjust her blankets more comfortably, eventually giving up and falling back, exhausted. Lord Sesshoumaru had been gone for some hours, presumably hunting and securing the camp.

Suddenly, he appeared between the trees, something large slung over one shoulder- a deer? When he finally reached the circle of light cast by the fire, he dumped the bundle to the ground, ignoring Jaken's questions. From the bundle a small man, holding a fiddle, rose to his feet, his expression fearful and humble.

"Play." With a single syllable, the youkai lord nodded to the man, and he scrambled to raise up a tune to amuse the girl. Rin clapped her hands, delighted- some time later, she fell into a sweet, blissful sleep to the sound of the music.


End file.
